About the District

Established May 18, 1912, the Hamilton Fire District #3 provides fire protection, non-transport first responder medical service to the residents of Fire District #3 and also supplies all of Hamilton Township with basic and technical rescue services as well. We are a diverse community within Hamilton Township, Mercer County, with a first due Engine response area of five square miles, a first due Ladder response area of more than twenty square miles and a Rescue response area of forty-five square miles.

Located within our Fire District, are critical infrastructure systems such as a major power generation facility which supports the regional electric grid, four petroleum handling facilities which support the regions adjacent to and including Mercer County and the neighboring State of Pennsylvania. There are also numerous natural gas pipe lines, energy transmission lines, the New Jersey Regional Light Rail Line, Conrail heavy freight rail line and two major interstate highways systems within our district. We are also responsible for providing marine search and rescue for the Delaware River, which is used to supply the critical infrastructure systems and facilities listed above as well as being used for recreational purposes such as boating and fishing.

In addition to firefighting and first responder care, our district has provided basic and technical rescue services to all of Hamilton Township, and surrounding districts, departments and municipalities for over forty seven years. Being one of nine fire districts, within a municipality of forty-five square miles, and an estimated population of 100,000 people, our population increases to over 150,000 during a normal business day and an estimated 100,000 transient persons pass through our community during normal business hours on the major interstate highway(s) and rail transportation systems. Centrally located in the State of New Jersey and adjacent to the City of Trenton which is our State Capital, we are often called upon to provide mutual aid with firefighting as well as basic and technical rescue(s) and personnel. The municipality currently utilizes our station as an emergency evacuation center for 4 local schools during times of crisis.

Our District maintains a staff of seventeen (17) full-time career firefighters reporting for 24/72 shifts. All of our personnel are cross trained in fire, rescue and emergency medical services. Our volunteer firefighters are also cross trained in fire, rescue and emergency medical services. Our District maintains one engine, one ladder, one rescue, one utility vehicle, one chief’s vehicle, one rubber rescue boat and two aluminum rescue boats. All vehicles respond from our centrally located station with a minimum of three personnel. Our full-time career personnel are supplemented by district volunteers when they are available to respond. We are highly vulnerable for emergencies such as incidents involving passenger/commercial rail traffic, multi vehicle accidents, hurricanes, floods and technical rescues involving confined spaces; high and low angle rope rescue(s) and swift water emergencies.